A bellcote, bell-cote or bell-cot is a small framework and shelter for one or more bells. Bellcotes are most common in

church architecture Church architecture refers to the architecture of buildings of churches, convents, seminaries etc. It has evolved over the two thousand years of the Christian religion, partly by innovation and partly by borrowing other architectural styles as ...

but are also seen on institutions such as schools. The bellcote may be carried on

brackets A bracket is either of two tall fore- or back-facing punctuation marks commonly used to isolate a segment of text or data from its surroundings. Typically deployed in symmetric pairs, an individual bracket may be identified as a 'left' or 'r ...

projecting from a wall or built on the roof of

chapel A chapel is a Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. Firstly, smaller spaces inside a church that have their own altar are often called chapels; the Lady chapel is a common ty ...

s or churches that have no towers. The bellcote often holds the Sanctus bell that is rung at the

consecration Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service. The word ''consecration'' literally means "association with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different grou ...

of the

Eucharist The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. According to the New Testament, the rite was instit ...

. The bellcote is mentioned throughout history books when referring to older structures and communities. ''Bromsgrove church: its history and antiquities'' is one example which goes into depth about the construction and maintenance of the bellcote

Bellcotes are also discussed in The Wiltshire Archæological and Natural History Magazine
Volume 8
an
Proceedings of the Somersetshire Archaeological and Natural ..., Volume 29

Etymology

''Bellcote'' is a compound noun of the words ''bell'' and ''cot'' or ''cote''. Bell#Etymology, ''Bell'' is self-explanatory. The word ''cot'' or ''cote'' is Old English, from the Germanic. It means a shelter of some kind, especially for birds or animals (see

dovecote A dovecote or dovecot , doocot ( Scots) or columbarium is a structure intended to house pigeons or doves. Dovecotes may be free-standing structures in a variety of shapes, or built into the end of a house or barn. They generally contain pige ...

), a shed, or stall.

References

Church architecture {{Church-architecture-stub